Comparative study of public libraries located in Porto, in Portugal and in the city of Belem, in Brazil, conducted in order to investigate their resilience in spite of the impact caused by the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) over the Age of Information. For this purpose, it analyzes the mediation practiced in libraries and classifies them into a post-custodial or custodial model. The scientific quadrupole method is used, along with the case study strategy, plus the observation technique, interviews and the analysis of reports. The study intends to analyze which strategies will be used for the future of public libraries. It also concludes that this institution has an important role as a public space and a meeting point for the community. The survey outcome enhanced the value of the public library as a social institution that brings together people of all ages, gender, social or intellectual status in a democratic way, in order to promote access to the information in demand, with the help of printed and electronic materials. The traditional mediation is still used along with digital mediation, which is at an early stage in the libraries surveyed, with the exception of two libraries that still use only the traditional mediation, that is, the custodial model of mediation.It is highly recommended the training of mediators with the purpose of intensifying digital mediation, using services in social networks with the help of web 2.0 tools and improving the electronic catalog. Internet access should be provided for both users and mediators with good quality, for digital mediationis seen as one of the factors that will enable the public library resistance as a social space.
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